It turns out that this ruggedized little portable Bluetooth speaker by Logitech-owned Ultimate Ears (UE) comes in some slick packaging that I’m loathe to get rid of, it’s that cool. The cylindrical speaker fits snugly in the center portion of the box, and each side has a cute little compartment where the bright yellow power plug and flat premium micro USB cable fit in, each with its respective symbol printed on a little flag. It’s striking packaging, which should go over well with consumers.

Luckily, the actual speaker here, a smallish cylinder made to be set on end vertically as well as on its side horizontally, is a fantastic sounding Bluetooth speaker, with a full, clear tonal spectrum that’s surprising in something so small. The bass response could be a bit punchier, but I don’t find that to be an issue at all, and actually prefer the more balanced tonal approach.

And boy, is this sucker loud. There are volume controls on the unit itself, on the side of the cylinder near the “top” if it’s set up on end to point the power button at the sky. The buttons are beneath large stylized plus and minus buttons, colored a contrasting orange on my dark grey review unit. When I first paired my iPhone 5 with the UE Boom, I — no kidding — had to turn the thing down several times before it was quiet enough to handle in the living room of my house. With most of the portable speakers in this class that I’ve used before, I’ve typically turned everything up to max volume to get a decent decibel out of them; not so here.

Where this intensity comes in handy is outside. I’ve used the UE Boom in my yard, on my bike, and in my car and it’s loud and lovely in every location. I was able to provide music for a smaller outdoor BBQ just the other day with only the Boom as our speaker of choice. The fact that up to eight Bluetooth devices can pair with the UE Boom at one time is yet another killer feature, as it let several of the BBQ guests play their favorite tunes through the device, without ever having to re-pair between users. I let my iPhone 5, iPad mini, and Macbook Air all pair with the UE Boom so I can send audio from any one of these devices at a moment’s notice, without having to re-pair or mess with configurations.

The battery lasts a good long time between charges, and frankly, I’ve never needed to run it for the full 15 hours that Logitech claims. I have, however, powered the aforementioned BBQ without plugging it in once, and I had used it quite a bit the previous day. Charging the device is simple, and the bright yellow flat USB cable is easy to find, even in the clutter of my tech pile. It is nice that it uses a standard micro USB cable, though, in case it needs to be charged away from home.

Pairing is simple, and the UE Boom provides a nice conga drum sound when it is successful, along with a different percussive sound when it powers on and off. There’s a cute little hook at the end cap opposite the power cable, making it a cinch to attach to a carabiner, backpack, or inside a tent when camping. The material it’s made of is rubbery and easily washed, as the speaker unit itself is water and stain resistant.

This is a fantastic sounding Bluetooth speaker, with a full, clear tonal spectrum that’s surprising in something so small.

Overall, this is my new go-to portable speaker both indoors and out. It’s small enough to go with me everywhere, doesn’t need a protective case, and is loud enough to provide quality sound in almost any environment or space. While the bass response will disappoint those who prefer deeper, punchier low frequencies, the entire tonal spectrum is well-balanced and easy on the ears. There’s even an app for iOS that helps tailor the sound, check the battery level, and rename the speaker, if you like.

The UE Boom is the loudest speaker of its size that I’ve ever used, though at $199.99, it may also be the priciest. If money isn’t an issue, folks who need a loud portable Bluetooth speaker that works as well outdoors as it does indoors would be well served with the UE Boom from Logitech.

Product Name: Ultimate Ears BoomThe Good: Rugged and seriously loud with a well-balanced tonal sound, easily pairs up to eight devices via Bluetooth, lasts a really long time between charges, and comes in a cool box.The Bad: The bass is a bit on the quiet side, kind of pricey.The Verdict: Honestly, this is the one I’d purchase if I were in the market for a solid, dependable bluetooth speaker that I wanted to take with me everywhere.Buy from:Ultimate EarsBuy from:Amazon

[rating=excellent]

About the author:

Rob LeFebvre is an Anchorage, Alaska-based writer and editor who has contributed to various tech, gaming and iOS sites, including 148Apps, Creative Screenwriting, Shelf-Awareness, VentureBeat, and Paste Magazine. Feel free to find Rob on Twitter @roblef, and send him a cookie once in a while; he'll really appreciate it.

Gadget

Does it have a microphone for speakerphone calls?

bondr006

It does also function as a speakerphone. I bought a pair of them, because with the iphone app you can use them together for stereo. They were righteously loud for sure as Rob says, but I am one of those people that likes a smooth deep bass and ended up taking them back. They are a well built pair of speakers that are easy to use, and yes….the packaging is on par with what we are used to getting with our Apple products. If they ever decide to kick up the bass in these baby’s, I will be happy to purchase another set.

Phoenix_PR

Did you know the UE Boom battery is “proprietary” and no replacement is ever going to be available. All Logitech can offer is “the product has a two year warranty”. I’d will suggest for those that bought it (Got Suckered) taking it back with the ‘expired’ lithium battery a week before that two years is up. This is appalling. Knowing this, I will never buy a Logitech item ever.

Veruska

I just purchased it at Best Buy. The sales rep told me that it would work on my MacBook Pro but it simply doesn’t appear as an option under Bluetooth Menu. What am I doing wrong?

hallary

Has anyone heard of – Azon Discount Grabber (google it)? They have a little gold box on the site that spits out any discount for any product on Amazon. Bought my Bose speakers cheaper than the discounted price. Don’t think too many people know about this.